Shopping around for a new UK car insurance policy can help you to save money on your insurance premium. By shopping around and viewing a number of car insurance quotes, you can take advantage of lower rates offered by another motor insurance company, take advantage of different discounts offered by another car insurance company and adjust your cover so that it most closely meets your needs. Obviously the cost of insurance will differ greatly, whether your wheels are a sporty BMW or people carrying Toyota. In order to save as much money as possible while still buying the vehicle insurance that is best for you, there are a few questions that you should ask.
1. How Much Cover Do You Need?
All drivers in the United Kingdom are required to purchase a certain minimum amount of cover. Drivers must comply with minimum requirements established by the European Union, and some must also maintain additional cover as a requirement of their car loan. The minimum required cover, however, may not include repair costs associated with repairing your own vehicle after an accident. Take time to learn more about the requirements in place as well as additional cover that you may benefit from.
2. What Excess Amount Can You Afford?
After determining how much cover you need, review your finances to determine how much excess you can afford to pay. You will be required to pay the excess each time you file a claim. Consider how frequently you have filed claims in the past, and consider the current balance of your bank accounts. How much money is available to pay the excess if needed? Keep in mind that the lower your excess amount is, the higher your premium amount will be.
3. What Requirements Are in Place For the Discounts?
Many insurance companies appear to offer similar discounts for drivers. However, how drivers qualify for those discounts may vary. Some insurance companies may have a multiple policies discount, for example, but some may apply this discount to drivers who have their homeowner’s insurance with the company. Other companies may apply this discount for life insurance, renter’s insurance and other types of cover. If you don’t qualify for a discount with one company, you may question for a similar discount with another company.
4. Will You Get a Discount For Paying Your Premium in Full?
With many car insurance companies, you do get a discount if you pay your premium in full rather than choose to pay with instalment payments. Taking advantage of this discount may be easier than you might think. Simply deposit an amount equivalent to the monthly premium rate into your savings account regularly. Then, you will have the full premium amount available in your savings account when it is due.
5. Is the Insurance Company Reputable?
Some insurance companies have developed a reputation of offering poor customer service and hassling their customers when they need to file a claim. After an accident, you want to trust that your insurance company will assist you as needed when filing a claim.
With the right UK car insurance policy, you can enjoy the cover you need at an affordable price!
Can you think of any other questions to ask before you buy UK car insurance or auto insurance in any country?